Sat, 16 Nov 2019, 16:44 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 55th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 5.004/150.25, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jim Maroney Runs 3.971/308.85, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.367/190.81, Was #14

Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 26 percent, barometer 28.81 inches, adjusted altitude 3,259 feet, track temperature 109 degrees.

Chrisman didn't make a pass yesterday. He clicked it of early, but got in the show for now.

Maroney is straight down the groove with his quickest pass this season and his career fastest. Jim Maroney's incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.254, 660ft-3.191/271.84 mph.

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.094/225.75, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.321/97.67, Was #16
Right Lane: Austin Prock Runs 3.776/327.98, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.636/91.89, Was #17

McClenathan was on a good pass and clicked it off early as planned. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.193, 660ft-3.128/263.82 mph.

Prock kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to get in the show up to the number nine spot. Austin Prock's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.149, 660ft-3.039/287.60 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.764/326.00, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.985/223.95, Was #15
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.719/325.14, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.960/85.81, Was #19

This is a good side-by-side drag race.

Torrence is straight down the groove to move up the ladder to the number nine spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.836 sec., 330ft-2.130, 660ft-3.023/284.87 mph.

Millican launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number four spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.831 sec., 330ft-2.108, 660ft-2.985/290.32 mph.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.773/324.83, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.752/97.96, Was #19
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.760/327.98, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.726/331.69, Was #6

McMillen with a real nice pass to get in the show all the way up to the number 10 spot. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.144, 660ft-3.031/285.95 mph.

Force is straight down the groove with the second quickest pass of the session. She will not improve and stays in the number six spot. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.147, 660ft-3.027/289.76 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 4.388/193.43, Now #16; Best prior run: 3.966/292.46, Was #16
Right Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 3.774/326.16, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.708/330.63, Was #3

Reed starts to lose traction and pedals it, before going back up in smoke and clicked it off.

Torrence is straight down the groove with a good looking pass. He will not improve, but makes the fifth quickest pass of the session. Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.153, 660ft-3.036/288.09 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.797/326.24, Now #14; Best prior run: 3.903/325.61, Was #14
Right Lane: Justin Ashley Runs 5.588/115.21, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.777/317.49, Was #13

Kalitta is straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend, but will not move up the ladder. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.167, 660ft-3.059/286.25 mph.

Ashley is up in smoke early and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 5.056/140.68, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.751/325.45, Was #8
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 3.858/277.26, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.775/328.14, Was #11

Crampton is up in smoke early and clicked it off.

Palmer started dropping cylinders and then it appeared to push out a head gasket.

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Left Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 3.784/300.13, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.699/327.11, Was #2
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.762/324.59, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.729/330.07, Was #7

This was a good side-by-side drag race.

Salinas was on a good looking pass, but slowed on the top end. Mike Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.138, 660ft-3.027/286.62 mph.

Brown is straight down the groove with the third quickest pass of the session. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.146, 660ft-3.024/290.01 mph.

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Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.748/327.51, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.694/322.88, Was #1
Right Lane: Jordan Vandergriff Runs 3.719/327.90, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.724/323.81, Was #5

This was a great side-by-side drag race to wrap up round three of qualifying. Pritchett kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight. She makes the third quickest pass of the session. She holds on to the number one spot. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.131, 660ft-3.012/289.26 mph.

Vandergriff launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to tie Millican with the quickest pass of the session. He will get the fourth spot based on his faster speed. Jordan Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.828 sec., 330ft-2.109, 660ft-2.985/289.38 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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